I want to respect other people's copyrights but I do listen to and watch YouTube videos. I know that what started as a volunteer and free service, which made listening to artists who were not getting paid or asked permission, falls into an area of copyright that says for personal use and research or to illustrate a point, a person doesn't have to go through a permissions process. YouTube has departed into pay for play films and videos and this is a reason I fail to post many here at ANCESTRY WORSHIP - Genealogy BlogSpot. If I find an ad attached to a video, I tend to skip the ad immediately or do not watch it, searching for someone who posted not expecting financial return.
But sometimes when I'm resting, I like to listen to reruns of Who Do You Think You Are, or Louis Henry Gates Jr's series, Finding Your Roots. Not long ago I spent a Sunday morning in bed watching these videos on my cell phone. Sometimes I learn from them. Sometimes I'm compelled to watch a particular video because I like the celebrity.
I saw a blurb about Carly Simon, the singer/songwriter who is known for her own creative musical work as well as her marriage-with-children to singer/songwriter James Taylor. I've listened to her albums. I listened to her memoir on audio book. I also read a Vanity Fair magazine article long ago that suggested that there was a mystery attached to her mother's parentage. She had been told that her mother's mother was an orphan, perhaps an illegitimate member of the Spanish royal family. Simon's mother was Catholic and her father was Jewish. The not so religious family was raised in The Ethical Cultural Society (if I remember correctly). The Gates blurb suggested that the truth was her grandmother was of Cuban-African origin and the Spanish royal family connection was probably a myth. Louis Henry Gates Jr. was there telling Carly Simon that of all the white people he had tested, she had the most African DNA of all, 10%. So of course I wanted to see that show.
I learned that few of the videos are still available without paying - about $1.99 per - and was disappointed.
Yet I know I can go to my public library and find these on CD (if not electronic books) and watch them for free. What, if anything, libraries pay for these items to offer to the patron/citizens/library card holders, I do not know. I love libraries and have cards for two local cities, a county, and a state library card. These days due to all the books available as electronic books and the use of cell phones as personal computers, there is some question about the value of libraries with print/paper offerings or even the value of offering public computer use in them. At one time the libraries were full of students using these public computers to do their assignments but now children have computers at their schools or are given laptops to do their work on.
I know that librarians themselves as well as library systems with lots of property and locations are asking themselves what value they will have in the future and it seems to be working in education, in particular in reading. Hand in hand with educational programs, local libraries offer classes to help immigrants become citizens and adults learn to read. But will they really need as much staff?
In my area it seems retired librarians are working part time in the system and this is slowing the number of new librarians being hired.
At some point it's possible that a library card will entitle direct payment by the library for a patron's use of YouTube videos and other electronic offerings not available from the library.
C 2019 Ancestry Worship Genealogy
Showing posts with label Who Do You Think You Are. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Who Do You Think You Are. Show all posts
05 May 2015
THE BEN AFFLECK - WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE ? LOUIS HENRY GATES "CONTROVERSY"
This morning I learned that there is a "controversy" because the actor Ben Affleck, who was one of the stars whose family genealogy was explored on the Louis Henry Gates Jr. show WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? asked that it not be revealed that some ancestor of his owned slaves. Apparently when private e-mails were hacked in a recent Hollywood scandal, and these e-mails were publicized, it was discovered that he had asked for this consideration and it was given.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
I completely agree with what LOUIS HENRY GATES Jr. explained, especially because I have been watching the previous seasons on DVD and my criticism was that there was perhaps too much emphasis on the whole slave - slave owners thing. Affleck would have been just one more, and well, the rest of his family was more interesting, providing, over all, a more interesting show and series.
I think ANYONE whose personal family history is going to be revealed to the world in these shows SHOULD have a say about what goes on the air.
I wonder how it is that anyone with such fame and the according WEALTH needs to have their genealogy done for free in exchange for their personal family heritage - any of it - and their reactions to it - as entertainment! Sometimes I've winced watching.
Professional genealogists are expensive but affordable to the well-to-do and the wealthy and being able to trust your genealogist is important. As is that the genealogist keep to professional behavior which is to report to the person paying for our services. We are not spies. We are not scam artists. We are not reporting into tabloids. And now we should also have the client sign that they are not using the information for illegal purposes - such as stalking.
Doing it on your own is a middle class - working class endeavor - which is why the subscription databases which are free at so many Family History Centers and Public Libraries - are so appealing. These databases have opened genealogy up to the masses.
So, famous people who can afford PRIVACY allow their fame to attract an audience.
I would sure like to see what the contracts signed for the show look like!
The shame is not in Affleck being sensitive. Other guests with slave owner ancestry appeared to be appropriately mortified, and we are not responsible for what our ancestors did or didn't do anyway. These days we agree slavery was and is wrong. DID YOU KNOW THAT MORE WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE SEX TRAFFICKED right now than the entire population of Africans brought to the America's unwillingly? Apparently it is still OK for the female to be the ultimate slave because this would not be happening if men were not buying.
The shame is that e-mail is increasingly useless due to hackers. It used to be that it saved you a phone bill long distance, but now, these hackers also feel it isn't enough to personally read your life and get to know you so they can set up an Identity Theft, but they want the WORLD to know your business, in an attempt to show off. Why are not more of them in prison instead of hackers conventions?
An e-mail that I use in conjunction to this blog has been hacked three times. Each time it was caught and I changed the passwords. However, it felt to me like someone - perhaps a genealogy database company - was trying to screw things up for me. I never ever use the e-mails associated with this blog for anything personal!
C 2015 Ancestry Worship Genealogy - All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
YOU KNOW WHAT?
I completely agree with what LOUIS HENRY GATES Jr. explained, especially because I have been watching the previous seasons on DVD and my criticism was that there was perhaps too much emphasis on the whole slave - slave owners thing. Affleck would have been just one more, and well, the rest of his family was more interesting, providing, over all, a more interesting show and series.
I think ANYONE whose personal family history is going to be revealed to the world in these shows SHOULD have a say about what goes on the air.
I wonder how it is that anyone with such fame and the according WEALTH needs to have their genealogy done for free in exchange for their personal family heritage - any of it - and their reactions to it - as entertainment! Sometimes I've winced watching.
Professional genealogists are expensive but affordable to the well-to-do and the wealthy and being able to trust your genealogist is important. As is that the genealogist keep to professional behavior which is to report to the person paying for our services. We are not spies. We are not scam artists. We are not reporting into tabloids. And now we should also have the client sign that they are not using the information for illegal purposes - such as stalking.
Doing it on your own is a middle class - working class endeavor - which is why the subscription databases which are free at so many Family History Centers and Public Libraries - are so appealing. These databases have opened genealogy up to the masses.
So, famous people who can afford PRIVACY allow their fame to attract an audience.
I would sure like to see what the contracts signed for the show look like!
The shame is not in Affleck being sensitive. Other guests with slave owner ancestry appeared to be appropriately mortified, and we are not responsible for what our ancestors did or didn't do anyway. These days we agree slavery was and is wrong. DID YOU KNOW THAT MORE WOMEN AND GIRLS ARE SEX TRAFFICKED right now than the entire population of Africans brought to the America's unwillingly? Apparently it is still OK for the female to be the ultimate slave because this would not be happening if men were not buying.
The shame is that e-mail is increasingly useless due to hackers. It used to be that it saved you a phone bill long distance, but now, these hackers also feel it isn't enough to personally read your life and get to know you so they can set up an Identity Theft, but they want the WORLD to know your business, in an attempt to show off. Why are not more of them in prison instead of hackers conventions?
An e-mail that I use in conjunction to this blog has been hacked three times. Each time it was caught and I changed the passwords. However, it felt to me like someone - perhaps a genealogy database company - was trying to screw things up for me. I never ever use the e-mails associated with this blog for anything personal!
C 2015 Ancestry Worship Genealogy - All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights
03 March 2015
WATCHING "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE" ON DVD
The very interesting television series WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE is available on DVD (and some YouTube videos) in case you never saw it, missed some, or want to watch it again. I just watched the second season in one long sitting, and as a researcher was sensitive to any reveals about how the research had progressed, the obvious tie in with the genealogy database Ancestry, and the various expressions of interest and appreciation which revealed that people vary in what they perceive as important, be it self knowledge or solving a family mystery.
Most viewers (I do hope) know that extensive research beyond the capabilities of the celebrities who travel to talk to professionals, archivists, and go to graveyards, is done and condensed into a show. I think bringing professionals into the research is only right and very smart. But they are only shown handing over color copied documents which might have taken many hours, weeks or months, to get ahold of. Then the celebrity is amazed.
One of the problems I found with one episode was a discussion of COLOR (RACE) on census and other documents. That someone is listed as White, or Mulatto, or Black, seems to be really subjective, even if the instructions to the census taker were fairly clear that when they looked at the person they exhibited certain traits. The PERCEPTION OF RACE is often dependent on the place and time. For instance I have found people called Black in the South who moved to Chicago and were considered White on records. So if I see a W, I don't automatically believe this person has a long European history.
On the show that featured Barbara Walters I learned how important it is to have a researcher who is willing to involve someone else if they cannot, say, read Hebrew off a tombstone. Barbara had genealogy done by a professional that had hit a brick wall because the Walters surname was not the Hebrew name of her Jewish ancestors. A local expert went to the cemetery where her father was buried and there on the tombstone was the name. This also proved that when you hire a second professional, they should go over the previous work of family, volunteers, and other professionals, to get situated, if not to prove or disprove the work.
It has happened to me that in looking over genealogy that a family member did for a client I've seen great leaps of faith presented as documented research and sadly, the family has put their reputation on this when they have to reason or right to, so bringing up the fact that something is speculation presented as fact is sensitive. Such leaps of faith are sometimes wishful thinking, such as anchoring the family in early colonial America. DNA sometimes help locate a relative who knows more or has family documents that move the speculation to proof, but often one must accept that they are cornered by the Brick Wall.
I like WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE as a show. I think it is interesting and useful and inspiring and it does familiarize the viewer with research.
C 2015 Ancestry Worship - Genealogy BlogSpot All Rights Reserved
Most viewers (I do hope) know that extensive research beyond the capabilities of the celebrities who travel to talk to professionals, archivists, and go to graveyards, is done and condensed into a show. I think bringing professionals into the research is only right and very smart. But they are only shown handing over color copied documents which might have taken many hours, weeks or months, to get ahold of. Then the celebrity is amazed.
One of the problems I found with one episode was a discussion of COLOR (RACE) on census and other documents. That someone is listed as White, or Mulatto, or Black, seems to be really subjective, even if the instructions to the census taker were fairly clear that when they looked at the person they exhibited certain traits. The PERCEPTION OF RACE is often dependent on the place and time. For instance I have found people called Black in the South who moved to Chicago and were considered White on records. So if I see a W, I don't automatically believe this person has a long European history.
On the show that featured Barbara Walters I learned how important it is to have a researcher who is willing to involve someone else if they cannot, say, read Hebrew off a tombstone. Barbara had genealogy done by a professional that had hit a brick wall because the Walters surname was not the Hebrew name of her Jewish ancestors. A local expert went to the cemetery where her father was buried and there on the tombstone was the name. This also proved that when you hire a second professional, they should go over the previous work of family, volunteers, and other professionals, to get situated, if not to prove or disprove the work.
It has happened to me that in looking over genealogy that a family member did for a client I've seen great leaps of faith presented as documented research and sadly, the family has put their reputation on this when they have to reason or right to, so bringing up the fact that something is speculation presented as fact is sensitive. Such leaps of faith are sometimes wishful thinking, such as anchoring the family in early colonial America. DNA sometimes help locate a relative who knows more or has family documents that move the speculation to proof, but often one must accept that they are cornered by the Brick Wall.
I like WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE as a show. I think it is interesting and useful and inspiring and it does familiarize the viewer with research.
C 2015 Ancestry Worship - Genealogy BlogSpot All Rights Reserved
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